RADHICA DE SILVA
Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhicasookraj@guardian.co.tt
Roman Catholic nun Sister Gail Jagroop has called on mourners to forgive the killer of 36-year-old judicial support officer Stacy Gopaulsingh, who was chopped to death during a violent home invasion in Moruga early on December 23.
Gopaulsingh, who leaves behind her three-year-old baby, was attacked in her home.
Speaking at Gopaulsingh’s funeral at the St Joseph’s RC Church in St Mary’s Village on Monday afternoon, Sister Jagroop addressed the grief, anger, and sense of injustice felt by mourners following the murder.
“We cannot condone that behaviour. Yes, we are Christians. Behaviour like that can never be condoned. It is senseless, thoughtless, and cruel. It should never be tolerated in society. It shows all has gone awry in our society. All is not well with us as a nation,” she said.
Sister Jagroop acknowledged the tragedy as part of a broader pattern of violent crime that has deeply impacted communities.
“This is just one of many hundreds of home invasions and criminal acts. Many of them go unsolved, and so sometimes anger boils up in us—that sense of justice in our hearts, that sense of reprisal, or sometimes a resolution. The sense of justice cries out for some kind of resolution. I feel your grief and anger. The government has called an SOE, and we leave them to deal with that.”
Reflecting on Gopaulsingh’s life and faith, Sister Jagroop sought to bring comfort to those gathered.
“Because of this indifference, this senseless murder, this little girl is without a mother, and the family is left without a sister or daughter. We feel the loss, so we turn to the word of God. The virtuous person will find rest with God. She is in the loving arms of God.”
She said Gopaulsingh taught Sunday school and loved to teach her cousins about Jesus.
“God, in his usual time, works all things for good. In this situation, terrible as it is, be patient because, in time, we will see beauty coming out of this tragedy. God can take death and bring life. He could take nothing and make something. Wait for it to unfold, because unfold it will. You will experience deep healing. Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Trust in God,” she said.
She also called on the mourners to embrace forgiveness rather than vengeance.
“I want to ask you to forgive the perpetrator of this crime. If you hold on to resentment, you are eating up yourself. Ask for the grace to let go. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Pray for the grace to forgive.”
Meanwhile, Gopaulsingh’s sister Christee remembered Stacy as a strong and ambitious woman.
“Stacy was always ambitious and juggled employment along with her studies. She was independent, outspoken, strong-willed, and assertive. In 2021, she had her baby. She was loving and caring. She loved bright colours, a reflection of her personality. Stacy was a critical thinker and a problem solver,” she said.
Gopaulsingh was pursuing a master’s degree and was set to graduate in May 2025 from the University of Southern Caribbean, where she was pursuing a master’s degree in National Security and Intelligence Studies.
Gopaulsingh was killed around 3 am on December 23. Her common-law husband, Shane Gomez, said they were asleep with their three-year-old daughter when Gopaulsingh’s phone began ringing. Gopaulsingh answered the phone and went outside to the back of the house.
Gomez heard three strange voices engaged in what sounded like an argument.
When he got up to investigate, he said a masked man confronted him outside his bedroom and shouted, “Go back in yuh bed if yuh know what good for yuh,” while pointing a gun at him.
He said the suspect demanded a laptop and money, which he took. The items included a brown envelope containing TT$40,000, US$800, and two wedding bands.
Gomez said he grabbed his daughter and jumped through a window with her. When he returned shortly after, his wife was lying in a pool of blood on the living room floor.
